The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-30
Genius and SensltiGcnesa.
q. n, ALBR4GHT.

Every man of genius feels ut times
sense of loneliness more or less. Ii
caused Byron much misery; john Stu
art Mill suffered from it for years; and
Dickens, when near the end. cum9lain-
ed that he had missed a someone he
had never seen. The ideal Of such
men is seldom realized. Unknown to
themselves they create q creature III
their heart and brain whom they eager
ly seek in flesh and blood, AMI too often
in vain. 1t does not follOw-indeei /. il
seldom happens-that the ideal con-
ceptiOn of the man of genius is = per-
feet creature, or one ike unto himself
but generally of a contrary nature and
possessing the very qualities most
wanting in him.
Some few have found this ideal. and
always in the form Of a woman; others
have found her only 10 lose her. like
Walter Scott and Byron; not a few
have found her in the wife of another
man. like Petrarcn and 5. crn"; others
have tOndly imagined thai they have
found her, but, too late, have discover
ed their mistake. These last are they
whose married lives have proved fail
ures. The wives of men Of genius sep
arated from their husbands are long
and fearful list VINO is TO blame?
Certainly not the wives, Tor they are
human and very feminine; and as for
their husbands, they are more than hui
man; so let not us men sit in ia igmuut
upon them.
Byron had all tho restlessncss and
contempt for the world peculiar tC
Burns. Their natures were much alike.
The peer and the peasant unite in the
temperament of the poet. Byron was
very near being the most unfortunate
man who ever lived. He endured the
misery of deformity, OF disappointed
love, of calumnv, and of genius. He
only wanted Burns poverty to make
him the most unhappy man ever born.
ANY one of these miSfOrtunes would be
as much as an ordinary being could
well bear; but when we think OF them
eentered in one man, and of the pain
full constituencies OF genius to such in
duences, we wonder that Byron was Sc
good man that he was.
With men of genius, sensitiveness is
a perfect disease; indeed. it is. this very
quality which enables them to fell and
express those emotions which escape
other men. SenstiveneSs is an inno-
cent and amiable se!f-love, and must
not be cOnfounded with selfshncss. A
selfish man is sensitive, but only for
himself; but a sensitive man has much
sympathy for others. The two quail
ties always go together, and are large
ly developed in women and men of
genius. Many women have as much
sympathy rs men of genius, but they
exercise it with greater striclness anl
partially. Thus women have little or
no sympathy for evil doors; men of ge-
ulGs frequently have.
Speaking Of calumny, it is thing 70
which a man of genius is particularly
liable, especially an unknown man. Poo
pie see that he is often unhappy, and
uncertain and strange III his humor AMI
ways-in short, he j. d fferent from
themselves; and, not knowing the
cause, they are so kind as to invent
one, always taking great care that it
shall be to the mans dIscredit Said
Bulwer Lytton, with tears in his eyes,
'AIen calumniate me, yet l would die
to serve them" Tac tact is we love to
see each her come and fall down
heavily. Chicago Eye.